Charles e



0. B. FRITTS. Curtain Fixture.

N0. 240,689. Patented April 26, I881.

UNITED STATES Y PA ENT OFFICE. I

QHARLES E. FRITTS, OF ONEONTA, NEW YORK.

CURTAIN- FIXTURE.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,689, dated April 26, 1881,

Application filed J une 2, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FRITTS, of Oneonta, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, principally, to that. class of curtain-fixtures in which the roller is provided with a spring for automatically rolling up the shade or curtain. It is so constructed that the curtain can be freely moved up or down at will, by manipulating it with the hand, or can be locked and retained at any point by simply checking the speed when the desired height is reached, and when so locked the tension or adjustment of the spring will be automatically preserved, whether the roller is fitted in the brackets or removed therefrom.

The invention consists, first, of a new ratchet having a concentric internal bearing-surface between the notches; second,anewautomatic stop-work or lockiri g device, consisting of the combination of a ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, with one or more pawls Whose locking ends normally rest on such bearing-surface, except when in one of the notches, arranged and operating as hereinafter described; third, a new spindle; and, fourth, new constructions and arrange ments of the parts of the roller, as set forth herein. 7

In the drawings, Figure lrepresents a front view of my shade-roller suspended in hanging brackets from cords attached to the windowcasing. Fig. 2 represents an end view of the roller, in which a spring, S, is attached to the spindle. Fig. 3 is :a longitudinal sectional view of the same in the line a: m. Fig. 4 shows an end view of my shade-roller, in which the notches are made entirely through the ratchet or flange and have'walls of equal height.

The end plate extends out beyond the ratchet to fit a large-size roller. J represents the sh ade woundupon the roller. The spindle has no spring S.

Similar letters of reference in the different figures indicate corresponding parts.

P is the roller, one end having the usual fixed end plate and round journal supported in a suitable bracket, the other having the end piece and ratchet F bored through the center tain a spiral spring X of any desired length,

the chamber being closed by the end piece at fixed to the roller. The ratchet and pawl are also both arranged on that end of the roller, thus leaving the other end entirely free and unincumbered with any of the working parts, so that it can be sawed off to make the roller the proper length to fit the window. plate, with the fixed journal, is then nailed or otherwise fastened on that end.

One end of the spring X is attached to the spindle, the other to the roller. The end A of the spindle is fiatted and fits in a slot in the bracket, as usual. As the spindle consequently cannot turn, the spring X is wound and tightened by pulling down the curtain and revolving the roller, and therefore tends to turn the roller in the opposite direction and so wind up the curtain except when locked and preven ted.

notches, upon which normally rests the free end or locking-lip of the pawl D, pivoted upon the pin 0 of the spindle, except when it is in one of the notches of the ratchet locking the roller. The notches may be made either entirely or partly through the flange. When the curtain J is pulled down the roller is re- The end volved and the ratchet moved under the pawl J backward, or from left to rightin Figs. 2 and 4, and the pawl cannot catch in the notches, whether the ratchet is moved fast or slowly, as the back of the pawl-lip is made slanting, and even if it falls into a notch it is readily lifted or forced out again by turning the ratchet backward; but the frontof the lip is nearly vertical, so that if it falls into a notch it will catch and lock the roller when itis moving forward. The form of the pawl shown in Fig. 4=is given to it for the purpose just described, and has no reference to varying the rate of speed at which the pawl shalllock.

first pulled down far enough to lift the pawl out of the notch, then let back quickly, when the pawl will not have time to drop into the notches, but will pass smoothly over them and the bearing-surface till the desired height is reached. The speed is then checked, and when one of the notches comes slowly under the pawl that will drop into the notch and lock the roller, preventing the spring from winding up the curtain any farther.

Thus the use of side cords and other devices for rolling and unrolling the curtain are dispensed with, and the curtain can be raised or lowered at will by simply moving it briskly with the hand, and locked at any height by moving it up slowly, the engagement or nonengagement of the pawl with the ratchet being determined solely by varying the speed of the roller by the manipulation of the curtain to produce the desired effect.

The roller should always be locked before taking from the brackets. When so locked it can be removed from the brackets or replaced therein without disturbing the tension of the spring X. A spring, S, may be attached to the spindle, and so arranged as to be held up against it by a flaring mouth-bracket or other suitable means, and be inoperative when the roller is in the brackets, but which will spring out when the rolleris removed from the brackets unlocked and bear on the pawl, causing it to drop into a notch and lock the ratchet instantly, as was described in my patent No. 138,493, dated May 6, 1873, or any other suitble automatic locking arrangementcan be used.

A spindle having pendants or supports on both sides of the pawl, and a double-acting pawl, or one having two parts or ends, each of which was alternately acted upon by projections on the bearing-surface of the ratchet, producing a vibratory motion of the pawl, were described and claimed in my former patent, before referred to.

The special forms used herein are a spindle having a pendant or support on only one side of the pawl, and a single-acting pawl, or one having only one part or end normally acted upon by the ratchet, which in this curtain-fixture has no rising inclines nor projections of any kind 5 but its entire bearing-surface is concentric, or nearly so, as already stated,so that the pawl in this stop-work is not compelled to vibrate when the ratchet is moved rapidlyunder it, as was the case in the stop-work of my former curtain-fixture. These forms of ratchet, spindle, and pawl are shown in the different figures. I do not confine myself, however, to the precise forms shown, for obviously many other forms will operate as well, and without changing the result or departing from the principles of my invention.

also may be modified, provided'it retains the concentric, even, or level bearing-surface for the pawl.

The flange need not be made around the extreme outer edge of the end plate, but may be of any diameter preferred. Fig. 4 shows the end piece for a very large roller, with the flange near the center and notches through it. The pawl is to rest on the inner surface and operate as before described.

In all these or similar forms the principle and mode of operation remain the same.

In the spindle A B 0, (shown in Figs.1 and 2,) A is the fiatted end for the bracket. B is the enlargement or pendant portion on only one side of the pawl, and carries the pivot O, on which the pawl D plays freely. This pivot may be a pin cast with the rest of the spindle, inserted during the casting, or formed in any other suitable way. These are the usual modes of forming or applying rivets or pivots, except the casting of the pivot in or with the spindle, which is my own improvement.

When it is desired to make the fixture as cheaply and with as little fitting as possible, the spindle shown in Fig. 3 may be used, having the pendant outside of the pawl and the headless pivot pointing toward the roller. In this case the pawl is securely held between the pendant and the end piece by simply putting the roller together, and without any labor whatever for that special purpose.

These or any other equivalent forms are mere matters of construction, the most essential point of this spindle being that it has a pendant on only one side of the pawl, by which means not only is much hand-labor and time saved in fitting the parts together, but it is cheaper and easier to make, and does not require so deep a cup or cavity in the end piece as a spindle with pendants on both sides of the pawl.

Where the spindle passes through the end piece it is round, and acts as a journal therefor. It then has a shoulder, against which rests a washer, WV, for confining the play of the end piece, and consequently of the roller itself, upon the spindle. From there to the end it is squared. This square part is driven into the rod A, which is, in effect, a continuation of the spindle, and has its farther end properly supported to hold it in the center of the chamber or hollow of the roller, while leaving it free to revolve. The inner end of the spring X is attached to the roller in any suit able manner.

In putting the roller together the pawl is properly placed on the pivot, the spindle passed through the end piece, the washer W is slipped on up to the shoulder, and the squared part driven up to the washer in the rod A. By this operation the end piece and ratchet F, the spindle A B O, pawlD, washer W, and rod A are all secured in their proper relative positions, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The spring X being properly fastened, as already described, the end piece is then secured to the IIO rollerin any convenient manner, and the roller is finished.

When the end of rod A is larger than the hole in the end piece it will, of course, serve the same purpose as the washer W. The latter can be omitted and the former take its place without modifyingthe combination of the parts.

The stop-work or locking device formed by the before-described construction and arrangementof the ratchet and pawl, although specially applicable to curtain-fixtures, may also be applied to many other uses with equal ad vantage, as well as to other constructions of curtain-fixtures from that herein shown. It can there fore be used with any other form of spindle than that shown, or be arranged diflerentl y with the roller.

If the spindle with a single pawl is placed in the bracket in the reverse position to that thus far described and shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pawl will, of course, fall away from the ratchet and the stop-work will not act but it is evident that if the spring increases in strength in the same ratio as the weight of the curtain as it is pulled down there would be no need of 'a locking device, for the curtain would remain wherever it was placed, being balanced by the spring in any position. It is now, in effect, a spring-balance roller instead of a lockin g or stop roller. For some uses it might be preferred to so place the spindle and use the roller without anylockingarrangement to interfere with its motion in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, Ihereby reserve, without prejudice, as a subject of future application, all matters not expressly claimed herein, but which have been,or rightfully might have been, described, suggested, indicated, or claimed during this application.

What I now claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. A ratchet consisting of a hub, ring, disk, or flange having a smooth concentric bearingsurface, upon which a pawl or pawls can normally rest without interfering with its quick motion in either direction, with one or more notches therein, into which the pawl or pawls can drop freely when it is moved slowly, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth, in combination with a pivoted pawl attached to the spindle or journal.

2. A revolving internal ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, on which a pawl can normally rest, except when in one of the notches, such bearing-surface being so arranged in connection with the notches that the pawl can slide over the bearing-surface and the notches without catching when the ratchet is moved quickly in either direction, but will dropfreely into the notches when moving slowly.

3. Animproved automatic stop-work orlock ing device, consisting of the combination of a ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, with one or more pivoted pawls, whose locking end normally rests on such bearing-surface except when in one of the notches, and which will pass over the notches without catching when the ratchet is moved quickly, but will drop freely into them when it is moved slowly, substantially as and for the purposes specified herein, when such pawl or pawls are attached to the spindle or journal.

4. The combination of one or more pawls with a revolving internal ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, on which the pawl normally rests except when in one of the notches.

5. A curtain-roller having attached to it an internal ratchet with a concentric bearing-surface for a pawl between the notches, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a curtain-roller, a ratchet with a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, and one or more pivoted pawls attached to the spindle or journal.

7. A sin gle-acting pivoted pawl attached to the spindle and engaging with a ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, on which it normally rests except when in one of the notches thereof.

8. A new arrangement of the parts of a curtain-roller, consisting in connecting with or upon the roller, as distinguished from the bracket, both a pawl or pawls and an internal ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, upon which the pawl normally rests, except when in one of the notches, whereby the stop-work or lockin g de vice is always kept together, and the spring is prevented from unwinding when the locked rolleris removed from the brackets.

9. The arrangement in or upon a roller, as distinguished from the brackets, of both ,a ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface be tween the notches and one or'more pivoted pawls, when such pawl or pawls are attached to the spindle or journal.

10. The combination ofaratchethavinga concentric bearing-surface between the notches, one or more pivoted pawls, and a spindle having such pawl or pawls attached to it.

11. Thecombination of a ratchet having acon centric bearing-surface between the notches, a spindle having a pendant or collar on onlyone side of the pawl or pawls, and one or more pawls attached to the spindle. i

12. In curtain-fixtures, a spindle having one or more pivots for the pawls pointing toward the roller, so that the pawls may be kept in place by simply putting the roller together without the necessity of any hand labor or de vice specially for securing the same.

13. A spindle for curtain-fixtures with a pawl upon it, and having the pivot or pin for the pawl formed or secured in or upon the spindle while casting or making the same.

14. A spindle with a pendant or collar 011 only one side of the pawl, havingaspring, S,attached to it, and a pawl, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. Thecombinationofaratchethavingaconcentric bearing-surface between the notches,

one or more pawls, a spindle having a pendant or collar on only one side of the pawl or pawls, a spring, S, attached to the spindle, and a flaring-month bracket or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

16. In curtain-fixtures, the combination of an internal ratchet having a concentric bearing-surface between the notches, a single-acting pawl, and a spindle having the patvl attached to it, so arranged that the roller can be changed to either an automatic stop-roller or a spring-balance roller by varying the position of the spindle in the bracket, substantially as herein set forth.

17. Ina spring shade-roller, the combination of an internal ratchet having a concentric bearingsnrface between the notches, a singleacting pawl, and a spindle having the pawl at tachecl to it, so arranged that the roller can be made to lock in either direction by changing the direction of the pawl.

18. A spring shade-roller consisting of the combination of the roller 1?, end piece and concentric ratchet F, one or more pawls, a spindle having such pawl or pawls attached to it, rod A, and spring X, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

CHARLES E. FRITTS.

'Witnesses:

JOSEPH S. FRrr'rs, J. H. FRITTS. 

